- Product Designer for playful and educational experiences

Tag: foam

False-Bottomed Wheelchair – Inside Amy Schumer

Posted: September 4, 2013-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Propmaking, Inside Amy Schumer-Tags: Props, foam

I modified a wheelchair for a skit on Amy Schumer’s show. The actress needed to fit her legs into a box below the seat and have false skinny legs hinged onto her lap. The box below the seat is made from painted plywood and padding, and the legs are latex-skinned foam with “bones” made from [...]

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Padded Columns for L’Oréal

Posted: January 13, 2013-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Museum/Exhibit Design, Abunch LLC-Tags: Props, willkrause, foam

I made these padded columns for a L'Oréal event so that they would fit around existing columns at the event site. Jessie Voris and I worked together on the upholstery - there were 200 buttons to sew!

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Silent Library – Spanking Chair

Posted: April 28, 2011-Likes: 0-Comments: 2-Categories: Silent Library-Tags: Props, willkrause, foam

This one was fun to make! I traced my hand, scaled it up 200% and then made a foam hand with acrylic nails from the pattern. The arm is made out of 2x4's glued together and swung with the aid of pneumatics. I scaled up a normal wooden chair 150% and built it out of [...]

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Silent Library – Creature in a Jar

Posted: April 27, 2011-Likes: 0-Comments: 2-Categories: Silent Library-Tags: puppets, puppet, Props

This one was a challenge! I made this creature out of all sorts of materials: lobster claws, doll parts, shells from the beach, latex gloves, ping-pong balls, dust masks, shark jaws, lots of latex, and a toy octopus... a real potpourri of stuff. Katie Akana thought of the pneumatic mechanism to suddenly open the creatures' [...]

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Fake Pies for Sesame Street

Posted: April 26, 2011-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Sesame Street-Tags: willkrause, sesame, foam

I made these two pies for a cooking segment on Sesame Street. One pie needed to be made out of eight complete baked apples, and the other out of eight sliced apples, with a pair of eyeglasses hidden inside. I made the crusts out of sculpey, and the apples were standard fake styrofoam fruit... I [...]

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Silent Library – Egg Gatling Gun

Posted: June 30, 2010-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Propmaking, Silent Library-Tags: Props, willkrause, foam

My task on this project was creating an automatic mechanism that would fire a dozen eggs at contestants on Silent Library. I experimented with a tennis-ball-style launcher first, but settled on a gatling gun setup, powered by a disassembled t-shirt gun. The revolver chamber is made out of sections of PVC tubing ringed with UVA [...]

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Godzilla-like puppet Must Destroy Healthcare!

Posted: February 5, 2010-Likes: 0-Comments: 1-Categories: Propmaking, Godzilla puppet-Tags: godzilla, destroyasaurus, Props

I made this puppet for a health-care advocacy group. In a short video, the puppet will wreck hospitals, clinics, and maybe even get to eat some ambulances and doctors. I'll be doing the puppeteering today, so I'll post a link as soon as it is available. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that fire will be [...]

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Sesame Street – Letters and Numbers for Sesame Street

Posted: December 15, 2009-Likes: 1-Comments: 0-Categories: Sesame Street, Propmaking-Tags: Props, sesame street, willkrause

I'm working in the Art Department of Sesame Street, and I made plenty of letters and numbers for the 41st season. Most were made out of foamcore or blue foam, but I did make some "7's" that I scored so that they would break apart easily when Cookie Monster chomped on them.  

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Whitest Kids U’Know – Great Wall of China puppet

Posted: October 7, 2009-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Propmaking, Whitest Kids U'Know-Tags: puppet, great wall of china, Props

I went to Chinatown and picked up some pyjamas from a bargain rack to get some fabric for this puppet. The head is made from foam and cardboard (with googly eyes) and the mouth is opened and closed with a piece of clotheshanger wire.

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Blue’s Room – Critters

Posted: March 10, 2006-Likes: 0-Comments: 0-Categories: Propmaking, Blue's Room-Tags: critters, Blue's Room, foam

I learned to love polystyrene foam on this project. Sure, static electricity leads to annoying dust everywhere, but it is incredibly easy to sculpt to a smooth, kinda durable finish. Plus I got to use pipe cleaners & construction paper!

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